Who's Going To Uni?

[Aberdeen-Warrior]

Got a knock back from strathclyde. Just waiting to hear back from GCU now

[Honest_Man#1]

I've found my dissertation to be absolutely fine. I finished it a few weeks ago, but the hand in isn't until mid April. Mind you, I do need to take out about 40 words but that's a job for later what with coursework and essays flying about. As for my tutor, he's been great. We had a meeting at the start and have emailed throughout the process of formulating my dissertation. I am aware he's got a job and a life away from my dissertation, whilst he's aware that similar can be said for me. If you don't leave it to the last minute, it's more than manageable.

This is pretty much how I've found the dissertation and my final year in general. I get the feeling from most students that they love to play the 'my life couldn't be any harder' line when in reality if you plan your time out well and prepare properly etc then it's a great lifestyle. If you are struggling with deadlines and dissertation work then I think in the majority of cases it will be the fault of the student.

[Alex_14]

This is pretty much how I've found the dissertation and my final year in general. I get the feeling from most students that they love to play the 'my life couldn't be any harder' line when in reality if you plan your time out well and prepare properly etc then it's a great lifestyle. If you are struggling with deadlines and dissertation work then I think in the majority of cases it will be the fault of the student.

 

Absolutely. I've got deadlines piling up after my dissertation hand in, so I'm doing them now. Wouldn't that be common sense? 

 

There's a guy on my course who, as of last week, had done 800 words of his dissertation. He'll then fire into rants about how shit certain lecturers are. I despair. 

[cement]

First day at uni my advisor told me I was not a 'high flyer' and basically told me I was not up to the course I had chosen. I had given up a job to go to go to uny so was gutted. Got a first in the end but that would have never happened if that pep talk had never happened. You get out what you put in. I am a bit cynical about what degrees are worth but can't deny that bit of paper makes life easier in the end. Get pished but keep the heid.

[Hedgecutter]

As an undergrad, you see lecturers as well, just lecturers. What you don't realise is that their mindset goes as follows:

1. Got to organise that meeting with Dr X & Y to finish writing that paper

2. Got to get writing that other paper

3. Need to get that abstract for conference Z in by the end of the week.

4. Got to get materials together for some lecture tomorrow.

5. Need to get back to my PhD students who have been after a meeting for about a week now.

6. I need lunch... and a strong coffee

7. Need to write emails to companies for funding purposes.

8. Find some time for those pesky useless-until-proven-otherwise undergrads.

...

1254. Find sympathy and time for students who leave things to last minute.

[Miguel Sanchez]

I wrote my dissertation myself in two weeks without anyone seeing it and it got delightfully 2:1. Perhaps nothing symbolised my time at university quite like that sentence.

[Hedgecutter]

I always found it a bit shit how undergraduates are clearly a total afterthought to academics despite educating them being arguably the single largest activity a university undertakes, even if not actually the raison d'etre of the institution. It was only when I did a postgrad that I felt close to being actually respected by any of them. Not really sure how it could ever be otherwise, mind.

Let's be honest, they're academic research hubs (where lecturers spend less than half the time teaching) which make much of their money through undergrad fees. That's why undergrads exist, until they prove themselves as competent and bring in some further PhD or Masters funding.

I must admit, having helped some 4th years with recent work, it's difficult not to treat some of them with total contempt. It truly is 'useless until proven otherwise'. The gulf between PhD and scraping an honours degree is staggering in cases.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Hedgecutter

[Adam]

I wrote my dissertation myself in two weeks without anyone seeing it and it got delightfully 2:1. Perhaps nothing symbolised my time at university quite like that sentence.

It obviously can be done, but it's going to be shite, so your last two years' coursework must have been shit hot. A kiddie I went to uni with done his in eleven days, and was a broken bloke come the end of it. Completely made up his primary research, but still was awake for the best part of two days towards the deadline.

[AMMjag]

For my dissertation I had done most of the key readings and research beforehand, but I only started writing it up about ten days before. Which does bad things to your mental and physical health; not advised.

[The_Kincardine]

As an undergrad, you see lecturers as well, just lecturers. What you don't realise is that their mindset goes as follows:

1. Got to organise that meeting with Dr X & Y to finish writing that paper

2. Got to get writing that other paper

3. Need to get that abstract for conference Z in by the end of the week.

4. Got to get materials together for some lecture tomorrow.

5. Need to get back to my PhD students who have been after a meeting for about a week now.

6. I need lunch... and a strong coffee

7. Need to write emails to companies for funding purposes.

8. Find some time for those pesky useless-until-proven-otherwise undergrads.

...

1254. Find sympathy and time for students who leave things to last minute.

There is a lot of mileage in this post but it has to be measured against the Uni and the subject you're studying.

 

When I went to Yooni lectures were pretty-much optional and there for, largely, entertainment purposes.  Many of our lectures were hosted by guests and had little to do with our subject matter.

 

The key things for us were essays, essay reviews and tutorials. You can, of course, do this if you're studying a 'liberal arts subject' as I did.

Edited March 26, 2016 by The_Kincardine

[Ad Lib]

There is an absolute gulf even between the fucks given by teaching staff when it comes to Honours subjects rather than Ordinary/1st/2nd year subjects. I've also found that experienced academic staff are much more likely to leave things and to place very low priority on those who haven't "rebutted the presumption" of being an irrelevance.

I am a lot quicker in responding to my students than either of my PhD supervisors even to responding to me. Around exam time I'll often aim to reply within half an hour of receiving an email from a student, sometimes even on the weekends. It's just a force of habit. I don't like leaving things, especially communications.

One of the best exceptions to the not-prompt at replying schtick was a guy from Canada whose stuff of Quebec I've been writing about. Despite having never met the guy he's been absolutely first rate at getting back to me on inquiries that I'd often anticipate would take days from one of my colleagues in the School of Law at Glasgow.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Ad Lib

[scottsdad]

First day at uni my advisor told me I was not a 'high flyer' and basically told me I was not up to the course I had chosen. I had given up a job to go to go to uny so was gutted. Got a first in the end but that would have never happened if that pep talk had never happened. You get out what you put in. I am a bit cynical about what degrees are worth but can't deny that bit of paper makes life easier in the end. Get pished but keep the heid.

Don't be put off by this. Early on as a student my advisor asked what I got for Higher Chemistry. I told him and he said something like "Shouldn't you maybe think about another course?" 4 years later he was my PhD supervisor - and then afterwards my postdoc supervisor. He's been at my wedding, and we've published (at last count) 21 papers together. And I do still remind him of what he said to me. 

[scottsdad]

I think he's pumping your missus, m8.

 

The missus utterly detests him - but that's a different story. He's in Australia now, doing very well for himself. 

[scottsdad]

Undergraduates are great to teach most of the time. I don't want anyone to get the impression that they're an inconvenient imposition - they're not. And it's genuinely pleasing to see people turn from fresh schoolkids in to functioning adults with some sense about them. But the process can be difficult, and much of that is down to attitude.

[Miguel Sanchez]

It obviously can be done, but it's going to be shite, so your last two years' coursework must have been shit hot. A kiddie I went to uni with done his in eleven days, and was a broken bloke come the end of it. Completely made up his primary research, but still was awake for the best part of two days towards the deadline.

Everything I did which counted towards my mark got a score in the 2:1 range. My dissertation was right in the middle of that.

[callum-ayr]

Another 2.1 in another module, diss deadline was today so find out what we get in June. Talking head, presentation and 1 exam left!

[Honest_Man#1]

Don't be put off by this. Early on as a student my advisor asked what I got for Higher Chemistry. I told him and he said something like "Shouldn't you maybe think about another course?" 4 years later he was my PhD supervisor - and then afterwards my postdoc supervisor. He's been at my wedding, and we've published (at last count) 21 papers together. And I do still remind him of what he said to me.

I know someone who's advisor in 3rd year told him "maybe honours isn't for you" and laughed at him. He could now buy and sell the advisor 20 times over and I'm sure takes great delight in that.

[lionel hutz]

I know someone who's advisor in 3rd year told him "maybe honours isn't for you" and laughed at him. He could now buy and sell the advisor 20 times over and I'm sure takes great delight in that.

Sometimes people just need that added incentive of proving someone wrong

[Big Fifer]

Have a presentation tomorrow in front of my class with the two guys I've worked with on the practical side all year. Because they're ran away home the entire spring break, we're meeting for the first time tomorrow afternoon at 12pm to go through it. Both are saying "they have no idea what they're gonna say". I hate uni sometimes. I'd rather do it myself!

[paul-r-cfc]

Spoke to someone yesterday about the teaching postgraduate courses at Glasgow. For history they had 226 applications for 11 places and modern studies got 188 applications for 8 places. Thinking there's a chance I'll need to entertain other possible career paths!